Obama family’s personal chef Tafari Campbell was found dead on Martha’s Vineyard over the weekend.
Now, his wife has shared a moving tribute dedicated to the chef on social media.
She said that she will be “forever changed” by the tragic loss.
“My heart is broken. My life and our family’s life is forever changed,” Sharise Campbell wrote of her husband, Tafari Campbell, on Instagram early Tuesday.
The caption, which appeared below a smiling photo of Campbell posing in a kitchen, continued: “Please pray for me and our families as I deal with the loss of my husband.”
Earlier, on Monday night, Sharise shared that her company, Sweet Sage Baking and Catering, was not taking orders due to “the recent tragedy in our family.”
“No words can express what I’m feeling #heartbroken,” she wrote under the message.
Who is Sharise Campbell?
Sharise Campbell is the wife of Tafari Campbell who died by drowning, and is the owner of Sweet Sage Baking and Catering.
On Sunday evening, reports of a paddle boarder who may have drowned at Turkeyland Cove Road prompted the initial response from the authorities.
Overnight, rescue operations involving divers, Coast Guard helicopters, and resources from other agencies were begun.
Police confirmed that the former First Family was not at home when the tragedy occurred.
Also Read: Who was Walter Scheib? Former White House executive chef died by drowning in 2015
Campbell – who, in addition to his wife, leaves behind two sons – was a sous chef in the White House kitchen during Obama’s terms in office, where he was known for brewing beer using honey from Michelle Obama’s bees.
When the Obamas left Washington, D.C., Campbell joined their personal staff.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” Barack and Michelle Obama said in a joint statement Monday.
“When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House — creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together. In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter.
“That’s why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone.
“Today we join everyone who knew and loved Tafari — especially his wife Sharise and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin — in grieving the loss of a truly wonderful man.”
